UN Chief names young Indian activist to new advisory group on climate change

Guwahati: Archana Soreng, a climate activist from India, is part of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' new advisory group. This advisory group comprises young leaders who will offer perspectives and solutions to tackle the deteriorating climate crisis, as the UN rallies towards Covid-19 recovery efforts.

Six other young climate leaders between the ages of 18 and 28 years along with Soreng have been named by Guterres to his new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.

The UN released a statement on Monday on Soreng's inclusion, underling her capabilities. The statement said Soreng is "experienced in advocacy and research, and she is working to document, preserve, and promote traditional knowledge and cultural practices of indigenous communities."

Soreng has studied regulatory governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai, and is a former TISS Students Union President.

"Our ancestors have been protecting the forest and nature over the ages through their traditional knowledge and practices. Now it is on us to be the front runners in combating the climate crisis," said Soreng.

The young activists are expected to advise the UN chief regularly on fast-tracking global action to confront the worsening climate crisis.

The UN has set this in motion as a response to continued Covid-19 recovery efforts, as well as to bring in young leaders into the decision making and planning process of the global body.

Guterres conducted a video conference to announce the formation of the advisory group and added that the world is a climate emergency. "We do not have the luxury of time," Guterres said.

He further added, "We need urgent action now – to recover better from COVID-19, to confront injustice and inequality and address climate disruption."

Guterres said young people are on the front lines of climate action, showing countries and national leaders what bold leadership looks like. "That is why I am launching my Youth Advisory Group on climate change today – to provide perspectives, ideas, and solutions that will help us scale up climate action," he said.

The members of the Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change embody the diverse voices of young people from all regions as well as small island states. They will offer viewpoints and solutions on climate change, from science to community mobilization, from entrepreneurship to politics, and from industry to conservation, the UN said.

At a time when the world is already dealing with the climate crisis and needs to hold political and corporate leaders accountable for the worsening climate conditions, the initial seven members of the advisory group have been given a free hand, to be frank, and fearless in their advice to Guterres.

The other members of the group are Sudanese climate activist Nisreen Elsaim, Ernest Gibson of Fiji, the co-coordinator for 350 Fiji, a regional youth-led climate change network, Vladislav Kaim, a young economist from Moldova who is committed to ensuring green and decent jobs for youth, Sophia Kianni of the United States who has helped organize nationwide strikes and is the founder of international non-profit Climate Cardinals, founder and coordinator of Generation Climate Europe and spokesperson for Youth and Environment Europe, Nathan Metenier of France and lawyer and human rights defender Paloma Costa of Brazil.

The establishment of the group builds on last year's successful Youth Climate Summit – the first time a Secretary-General has assembled a summit for young people entirely dedicated to climate action.

The summit brought together over 1,000 young climate activists from more than 140 countries to share their recommendations on the international stage and give a clear message to world leaders: we must act now to confront the climate crisis. The initiative is also associated with the Secretary-General's vision for the UN Youth Strategy, launched in September 2018.

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